The Daily Banter: Leon Hall and Evan Mathis Make Training Camp Debuts

+ As of this posting, cornerback Leon Hall and Evan Mathis have returned to the field for the first time during Training Camp. However, Antonio Bryant, Andre Smith, Rashad Jeanty, Tom Nelson, Andrew Whitworth, Carlos Dunlap, Dezmon Briscoe, Cedric Benson and Antwan Odom are all sitting for the Monday morning practice.

+ After a rough start this weekend, place kicker David Rayner converted all six field goal attempts "from 26 to 51" yards out.

A few notes from Peter King's MMQ. He writes:

• "Andre Smith should never, ever, ever have been the sixth pick in the draft in 2009."
• Hopes that Marvin Lewis will get used to being "one of the ESPN pet teams" with Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco.
• The Bengals have never been more aggressive during his 27-year coverage of the NFL, including his stint with the Cincinnati Enquirer kicking off his career.

+ The Bengals practiced their Red Zone offense on Sunday and didn't come away impressed with two scores and a couple of picks.

"It's definitely something we have to improve on," said Palmer. "It was a start. We have to have the mindset that we want to score each time down there. We had a couple of turnovers down there and now we just have to keep working at it."

+ Bengals wide receiver Terrell Owens comes to Cincinnati not just because he was out of a job or wants to play with his boy Chad Ochocinco. He's coming to Cincinnati to win a Championship.

“I look at this as an edition to what I’ve done my entire career,” Owens said. “Whether it’s the Hall of Fame or not really doesn’t bother me. I think my number speaks for itself. I came to Cincinnati to help the team win a Super Bowl. We’re trying to get that title this year and I’m ready to do my part to get them over the hump.”

+ The season's best offseason move in my mind, isn't acquiring free agents Antonio Bryant or Terrell Owens. It's not drafting Jermaine Gresham, Jordan Shipley or any of the other drafted players. It's re-signing Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

“We want to get to the top, and there’s no greater person to lead us than coach Zim,” linebacker Rey Maualuga said. “I believe he’s going to do that, but he can only do so much. We have to put in the work on the field and stay coachable. If we do those things, he’ll get us where we want to be.”

+ The team has already gone through 40% of their Terrell Owens inventory.